1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to lounge chairs for children and more particularly to a combination lounge and rocking chair.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In todays society most parents go to considerable means to provide their children with comfortable toys and play devices to keep them quiet and entertained. However, when the child is large enough to sit up on a conventional chair problems develop rapidly in that he seldom rests there quietly for any length of time. After a while he starts to squirm around and may eventually slide off the chair to respond to his need to move about and be active. Attracted by the motion of the family rocking chair the child is usually quite content to sit in it and rock back and forth. Primarily for this reason small size rocking chairs have been produced for the entertainment of small children essentially constructed of a chair mounted on arcuate rails or rockers. Such a rocking chair tends to satisfy the child's need to release body energy but likewise may cause some damage to the child as well as to other objects of furniture in the room. Frequently, a child will rock so violently it causes the chair to tip over and throw him forwardly or backwardly. Should a coffee table or another article or piece of furniture be in the way he may well injure his head, break an arm or leg. In the event he does not get hurt there is always the possibility that the rocking chair will strike and scar a piece of furniture.
As far as applicant knows neither rocking chairs for children or adults are manufactured with built-in means, such as a bumper guard, to limit the angle of tilt in any position or direction. This applies equally as well to conventional rocking chairs and to other forms of rocking devices.
In regard to the latter, multipurpose rocking, reclining and lounging chairs have been proposed that will safely permit an occupant to rock thereon without turning over. A chair of this type is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,526,429 issued to H. M. Metzgar. The Metzgar chair consists of a pair of spaced side panels with lower generally arcuate edges in rocking contact with a floor. Each side panel edge has a straight forward portion, a complemental straight rearward position at right angles to the forward portion and an intervening portion which is curvilineal and of a predetermined arc. Several angularly related pallet-like panels are fixedly suspended in the space between the side panels. The alleged self-balancing position of the cradle-like chair provides the occupant a reclining rocker which, in the forward upright position, is a stationary seat and in the rearward position he is reclining with his back parallel to the floor and legs extending upwardly. While it appears that the Metzgar chair will not tip completely over in the fore and aft movement it obviously will not rock in any other direction and therefore is largely limited to a stationary position on the floor. Furthermore, this chair could throw a child out when rocked sufficiently hard backwardly and possibly cause an injury.
A somewhat similarly constructed rocking chair is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,482,306 issued to J. J. Waldheim. The Waldheim tilting chair has two spaced side supporting members formed generally into an L-shaped loop of metal tubing. The structure could also be of solid plywood panels essentially of the same design shown in the Metzgar drawing. The two side supporting members are connected by several cross-members to hold them in fixed rocker position. Spaced between the side members is a canvas cover forming the back, seat and leg rest. The Waldheim chair apparently operates in the same manner described by Metzgar and has the same disadvantages for a child's use. It also lacks side supporting structure to prevent a child from tumbling sideways off of the chair.
Therefore, it is the object of the present invention to provide an ellipsoidal-shaped rocking lounge chair in which a child can recline and rock safely as actively as he wishes. Another object is to provide a chair with a bumper guard which will prevent it from turning completely over. Yet another object is to provide a seating or reclining arrangement which will allow the child to rock or rock and rotate the rocking lounge chair in such a manner as to make it travel about on a ground surface in a straight or spiral path without falling out of the chair.